D'Annunzio's bill passes in House

After months of deliberation, Brandon D’Annunzio’s law passed the House of Representatives unanimously Thursday and is one step closer to becoming a law.

The law is named after Brandon D’Annunzio, a young man who was killed in a drunken encounter when visiting East Lansing more than 12 years ago. Authorities did not find his killer until after the decadelong statute of limitations had run out.

Since then, his mother, Shawn D’Annunzio, has fought for a bill that would alter the statute of limitations for crimes such as manslaughter, kidnapping or attempted murder. Under the proposed change, the statute would extend from 10 years from when the crime was committed to 10 years after the perpetrator is found.

The bill will ensure this type of situation will never happen again, Shawn D’Annunzio previously told The State News.

Brandon D’Annunzio’s law only will have to be voted on concurrently by the Senate and then signed by Gov. Rick Snyder before it is passed into law, according to a spokesperson for Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge. Jones is the lead sponsor of the bill.